Method and system for enabling localization support on web applications

1. A method for utilizing a locale object, which contains localization information content, to enable network localization support for document display information delivered from a server to a client, said method comprising the steps of: activating said locale object within said client by dragging and dropping a graphical user interface for said locale object onto a graphical user interface for a Web browser; responsive to said activating said locale object within said client, receiving a locale event message from said dropped locale object; responsive to receiving said locale event message: reading said localization information content of said dropped locale object by said Web browser; updating document display information within said Web browser in accordance with said localization information content of said dropped locale object, and sending said locale event message and said localization information content from said client to said server; and responsive to receiving said locale event message and said localization information content from said client, updating locale information for said server and an associated server side Java virtual machine in accordance with said localization information content, such that HTML documents retrieved by said Web browser from said server are formatted in accordance with said localization information content.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said updating document display information within said Web browser further comprises the step of: updating locale information for a Java virtual machine within said Web browser in accordance with said localization information content within said locale object.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said updating locale information for a Java virtual machine within said Web browser further comprises the step of: reformatting all applets based on said localization information content within said Java virtual machine.

4. The method of claim 1 , when said updating said server side Java virtual machine's locale information further comprises the step of: using said localization information content for all Java servlets within said server side Java virtual machine.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said updating said server's locale information is followed by the step of: formatting and delivering an HTML document for display to said client based on said localization information content.

6. A system for utilizing a locale object, which contains localization information content, to enable network localization support for document display information delivered from a server to a client, said system comprising: means for activating said locale object within said client by dragging and dropping a graphical user interface for said locale object onto a graphical user interface for a Web browser; means responsive to said activating said locale object within said client for receiving a locale event message from said dropped locale object; means responsive to receiving said locale event message for: reading said localization information content of said dropped locale object by said Web browser; updating document display information within said Web browser in accordance with said localization information content of said dropped locale object; and sending said locale event message and said localization information content from said client to said saver; and means responsive to receiving said locale event message and said localization information content from said client, for updating locale information for said server and an associated server side Java virtual machine in accordance with said localization information content, such that HTML documents retrieved by said Web browser from said server are formatted in accordance with said localization information content.

7. The system of claim 6 , further comprising: means for updating locale information for a Java virtual machine within said Web browser in accordance with said localization information content within said locale object.

8. The system of claim 7 , comprising: means for reformatting all applets based on said localization information content within said Java virtual machine.

9. The system of claim 6 , further comprising: means for using said localization information content for all Java servlets within said server side Java virtual machine.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising: means for formatting and delivering an HTML document for display to said client based on said localization information content.

11. A computer product residing on a computer usable medium for utilizing a locale object, which contains localization information content, to enable network localization support for document display information delivered from a server to a client, said computer program product comprising: instruction means for activating said locale object within said client by dragging and dropping a graphical user interface for said locale object onto a graphical user interface for a Web browser; instruction means responsive to said activating said locale object within said client for a reading a locale event message from said dropped locale object; instruction means responsive to reading said locale event message for: updating document display information within said Web browser in accordance with said localization information content of said dropped locale object; and sending said locale event message and said localization information content from said client to said server; and instruction means responsive to receiving said locale event message and said localization information content from said client, for updating locale information for said server and an associated server side Java virtual machine in accordance with said localization information content, such that HTML documents retrieved by said Web browser from said server are formatted in accordance with said localization information content.